


stuck with you

by chenzel_queen (bechloeslut)



Category: Broadway RPF, Chenzel - Fandom, Real Person Fiction, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman, Wicked RPF
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Angst, Quarantine, Slow Burn, Wicked OBC, chenzel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23903113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bechloeslut/pseuds/chenzel_queen
Summary: When one drunk call, one former lover, and one global pandemic turned into more than they ever could have prepared themselves for.
Relationships: Kristin Chenoweth/Idina Menzel
Comments: 9
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

_“Deeeee. Please tell me you’re in New York for once.”_

_“I uh, am…For once. Why?”_

_“Oh my_ gosh _. Can you pleaseee come over?”_

_“What? Why?”_

_“Well, you see my boyfriend’s not going to be here for a couple more days and I’m feeling awfully—” *hic* “—lonely…”_

_“Kristin, are you drunk?”_

_*Hic* “Maybe…”_

_“Kris…”_

_“What? I promise I don’t have…What is it called again? Corona? Like the beer?”_

_“How much have you had to drink?”_

_“Um…Hmm, a lot, I think. Don’t remember. At least one bottle of wine.” There was a clink of glass heard in the background. “Oops. Make that two.”_

_“Jesus, okay. Please stay put, I’m coming over.”_

* * *

Kristin woke up feeling like a jackhammer had hit her head, a brutal headache pounding through her skull. She groaned, hands coming up to hold her head, still not having opened her eyes. Once she pried them open and squinted through the small amount of light peering through her curtains, she let out a small gasp of surprise seeing who was in bed beside her.

“Idina!? What are you doing here?” she practically squeaked, sitting up and pulling the covers up to her chest. It was apparently too quick of a motion because her head spun violently in protest, causing her to let out another groan and hold it steady.

“You called me, silly,” Idina said, looking nonchalant as ever as she reached over to pass her a glass of water and dropped two aspirin in her hand. “I’m guessing you don’t remember.”

“No…” Kristin trailed off, staring first at the little white pills in her hand, then at Idina, feeling like she was still in a dream. Mostly because she looked awfully like an angel sitting there in her off-white sweater and serene expression, her features void of any makeup. 

Then a feeling of realization sank to the pit of her stomach that she must have been _really_ drunk to have actually called her.

“Gosh, I was really drunk, wasn’t I?” Kristin wrinkled her nose with a frown before finally taking a sip of water, her mouth dry and parched.

“Uh, yeah,” Idina said, raising a brow and grimacing a bit. “You had polished off two bottles of wine by the time I got here and were trying to open a third.”

“Oh, God,” she winced, her eyes crinkling shut with a frown before tossing back the aspirin. She sat there for a moment, staring at nothing, afraid to ask the dreaded question. “I didn’t do anything…too embarrassing, did I?” 

“After very whinily propositioning me for sex? No, you passed right out.”

“Oh no,” Kristin gasped, putting her face in her hands as her cheeks flushed with heat. “You’re joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Not at all,” Idina said, and through her fingers Kristin caught a glimpse of that lopsided smirk she adored so much, unable to stop her heart from skipping a beat at the sight. “You did make a pretty convincing argument, though. If you had been able to string a full sentence together, I _just_ might have taken you up on it.”

“Nooo,” Kristin groaned, her cheeks only growing hotter. “I can’t believe I did that. Dee, I am so sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay. We’ve all had our fair share of drunken incidents. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks,” Kristin softened, her cheeks still flushed red as she peeked up at Idina shyly. “You didn’t have to come all the way over here, but…I’m glad you did.”

“I’m glad I did, too.” Idina said, a small smile creeping up on her lips. “I’m heading back to LA today, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to make one stop along the way.”

“Oh.” Kristin murmured as Idina gestured to her suitcase in one corner of the room. She didn’t understand why, nor could she justify feeling just the slightest bit bummed out by this. It was a wonder Idina was even there in the first place. It wasn’t as if she would have stuck around, even if she hadn’t been going back to her family…

Kristin let Idina use her bathroom to get ready while she settled herself on the couch with a bowl of cereal, putting the news on to catch up with the latest updates. She’d settled with a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and a glass of orange juice, even though she’d really wanted Lucky Charms. She figured she’d already suffered enough embarrassment in front of Idina for one day. 

She was just about to tune into that morning’s recap when she heard a loud exclamation coming from her bedroom.

“FUCK!”

Kristin looked up in surprise, her brows knitting together with worry.

“Dee? Are you okay?”

Idina came marching into the room seconds later, cell phone in one hand while the other was at her forehead, a look of distress plain on her face.

“I just got an email saying my flight was cancelled,” she said, her voice wavering with anxiety. “I’m going to have to call the airline and see if I can get another flight.”

Kristin opened her mouth to say something and glanced back at the TV, now taking notice of the rolling headlines saying that a ‘shelter-in-place’ was being mandated for New York City—and, all flights cancelled, effective immediately.

“Uh—” she started, going to look back at Idina, but she was already pacing across her living room with her phone to her ear.

“Of course I’m on hold,” she muttered to no one in particular. Kristin slowly turned back to the TV, gulping inaudibly as she scooped another spoonful of cereal. She had the sinking feeling that Idina wouldn’t have much luck getting another flight.

“Hello? Yes, I need a flight to Los Angeles as soon as possible. Mine was just cancelled. New York City.”

There was a longer pause and Kristin glanced up out of the corner of her eye as she continued to eat in silence, trying to pretend like she wasn’t eavesdropping.

“Wh-what do you mean there are no flights? … They’re _all_ cancelled? What about from Newark?”

Idina was starting to pace slower, standing in place as she ran a hand through her hair, her beautiful features creased with fear and upset.

“Oh my god…Okay. Yeah. I understand. Thanks for your help.”

Idina hung up and just stood there for a moment, sliding both her hands in her hair. Kristin felt bad sneaking glances, but she looked completely distraught.

“I’m stuck here. Oh my god, I’m stuck here.”

She let out a shaky sigh and Kristin tried to avert her gaze back to the TV, still shovelling in bites of cereal, though she was still looking from the corner of her eye. Idina resumed pacing again, looking as if she’d seen a ghost. Kristin presumed she was in shock.

“What am I gonna do? What am I…Taye. I need to call Taye.”

Idina grabbed her cell phone again, frantically tapping the screen until she had it to her ear again, pacing more quickly now.

“Hey. Hi, sorry. I know it’s early. My flight home just got cancelled. … Yeah, there’s no flights anywhere; I just called to see. New York is on a shelter-in-place order.”

Idina took in a sharp exhale, looking like she was about to cry.

“I know it’s okay, I’m just worried sick and I hope he doesn’t freak about this. I mean _I’m_ going to freak—who knows how long this is going to be going on for…Had I known this would happen I would’ve gotten a flight out last night. Yeah, yeah…I’m going to text Aaron; he’s working from home in case Walker needs to pick up anything from the house. Please get him to call me after he’s done his school stuff today…Okay. Okay. Thanks. Bye.”

Idina hung up again, shoving her phone into her pocket and staring up at the ceiling as if looking for answers. Kristin tore her gaze away as Idina resumed pacing once more. Even from a distance, she could tell there were tears in her eyes.

She walked the width of the room a couple times, sounding like she was trying to take deep breaths before eventually walking over towards Kristin, plopping herself down on the couch a few spaces over from her. She just sat there for a few moments, saying nothing, staring straight ahead as if she were in a trancelike state.

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Dee, I’m so sorry,” Kristin finally said, putting her bowl on the table and turning herself to face her.

“I just can’t believe I-I’m stranded…I…I don’t even know the next time I’m going to see my son.”

Kristin’s heart sank in her chest, already feeling it break at the crestfallen look on Idina’s face.

“I can’t even imagine what you must be feeling right now, honey. I am so, so sorry this happened.”

Idina pouted, her eyes growing wide as she tucked her knees up to her chest. Kristin recognized it well as her ‘I’m about to cry’ face, and it only made her heart sink more. She wished she could reach out and take her hand, or even give her a hug, just to touch her and let her know she was there for her. But she didn’t want to make things worse.

“But, hey…At least we didn’t end up stranded by ourselves, right?”

“Yeah.” Idina responded after a moment, not meeting her eyes as she rested her chin between her knees. Kristin blinked and couldn’t help the frown that materialized on her face, desperately trying to ignore the pang of pain in her heart.

“I’ll, uh…Give you some time alone.”

She got up and took her bowl to the kitchen, turning on the water to wash the few dishes there, trying, _trying_ so hard not to take it personally. Idina had every right to be upset—after all, what was happening was horrible. She had every right to want to be at home with her family, as any other person in her situation would have wanted. Kristin, however, knew _she_ didn’t have the right to be upset that Idina felt that way. She couldn’t blame her, refused to blame her for not being over the moon excited about being quarantine buddies while her son and husband were all the way across the country. Despite that, and despite the fact that it wasn’t her fault that the flights were cancelled, she couldn’t help but feel like she was somehow partially to blame for Idina’s situation, a sickly feeling of guilt dropping deep to the pits of her stomach. 

After doing the dishes she went to her room to give Idina some privacy, leaving the door ajar as she cracked open a book she’d been trying to get into. She had a harder time concentrating than usual, her eyes trying to focus on the words but her mind was going a million different places at once. She couldn’t help but think about Idina, and how upset she must’ve been feeling, and how she wished there was something she could do to somehow make the situation better, even if it was just cheering her up…And, selfishly feeling relieved that she wouldn’t be stuck in her apartment all alone. She hadn’t even begun to process the fact it was Idina there with her, of all people. With everything else going on, it seemed like the least bizarre fact by comparison.

After some time had passed and Kristin had basically given up on her book, ending up checking her phone, a knock on her door jolted her attention away. She looked up to see Idina standing there looking shy, her arms wrapped protectively across her chest.

“Hey,” Kristin said, sitting up and patting the space on the bed beside her. “How are you, honey?”

Idina let out a sigh as she plopped down on the edge of the bed, looking tired.

“Fine, I guess. I think I’m in shock. What’s happening still hasn’t really sunk in. Nothing feels real.”

“I know,” Kristin said, frowning. “It’s a weird time.”

“I didn’t mean to dismiss you earlier,” she said, glancing at her from the corner of her eyes. “It’s just…I know it’s no one’s fault, and it is what it is, and there’s nothing that anyone can do about it. But I just feel like the worst mom in the world. I know I’m lucky that he’s there with Taye, but…I was supposed to be there. I’m his mom, and now I won’t be able to see him for probably months.”

It was enough to bring tears to her eyes again. Kristin immediately softened, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh, ‘Dina. I know it’s going to be hard. I can only imagine how you must feel.”

“I’m just so worried he’s going to be so upset with me,” Idina sniffled, letting out a small breath. 

“I’m sure he will be upset, but only because you’re his mom and I’m sure he misses you,” Kristin told her in a gentle tone, starting to rub her back a little bit. “He’ll understand that you did everything you could; that you would be there if it was possible. If not right away, then at some point. It’s just the way things are right now. He’s old enough now to know what’s going on in the world.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I hope so,” Idina mumbled, staring at nothing in particular with her knees tucked up to her chest again. “I know I’ll feel at least a bit better after talking to him.”

“There you go, sweetheart,” Kristin said, offering a small smile as she continued to rub her back, up and down. “Just focus on that for now.”

Idina let out a little sigh and relaxed a bit into her touch, nodding her agreement. At the back of her mind she had to wonder about the fact that she had mentioned her husband a grand total of one time, in passing throughout finding out about all this, despite the fact that he also would be all the way across the country. On the other hand, Kristin had yet to think about the fact that her own boyfriend wouldn’t be able to fly in anymore, either. But she wasn’t about to bring either of them up, if she could help it.

“So, uh…I guess we’re stuck together, huh?”

Idina’s comment put her out of her thoughts, causing her to look up.

“Yeah…I-I guess we are, aren’t we?”

She didn’t know why all of the sudden that realization had made her that much more nervous. Or maybe she did know why, and was simply ignoring the reasons behind it. 

“Kinda funny how we spent all those years avoiding each other…Just to have this happen.”

Kristin tensed at this a bit, feeling herself blush as she avoided Idina’s gaze. Neither of them had ever addressed that fact out loud, or in any way at all for that matter. Doing so now, in such close quarters where neither of them had any chance to escape, was more than enough to make her feel put on the spot.

“Oh, Dee. I’m sorry,” she broke, letting out a sigh. “I can’t help but feel like this is all my fault.”

“Well, the quarantine isn’t your fault and neither are the flights being cancelled. So, it’s more just the fact that I’m even here in the first place.”

“Well,” Kristin groaned with a pout. “I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for getting so drunk and being so stupid.”

“It’s okay, honestly. I’m not even mad, despite everything,” Idina said with that little lopsided grin Kristin loved so much. “In fact, I’m kind of glad I’m stuck here with you.”

Kristin nearly melted at this, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Really? You are?”

“Yeah,” Idina said, still smiling in a way that was starting to make her heart skip a beat. Several of them, actually. “I mean, it’s better than being all alone.”

“Yeah, that is true,” Kristin agreed with a nod. “I think I would go crazy if I was just here by myself. I mean, I was already kind of starting to lose it.”

Idina raised a brow at her.

“Really? Is that why you got so drunk?”

“Uh, well…” Kristin murmured, feeling her face flushing warm with embarrassment for the umpteenth time that morning. “Pretty much, yeah. I can’t really be left alone.”

Idina looked at her, a questioning look on her face.

“What do you mean?”

Kristin sighed, looking at her lap as she wrung her fingers together.

“It’s just, I…get to thinking about things, and then I get lonely, and sad, and it makes me do stupid things. Things like, drink two bottles of wine and drunk call you.”

She decided to leave out the part where she watched the _Rent_ movie in the midst of everything and got herself feeling a little bit too…worked up.

She looked up and was surprised to see that Idina was smirking at her, a little playfully.

“Do you know how many times I’ve done the exact same thing?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course. I mean, that’s basically how I ended up with my current husband.”

“O-Oh,” Kristin stammered, taken aback by this. She wasn’t sure why exactly, whether it was surprise that she had brought him up after hardly mentioning him at all, that they had supposedly gotten together because of a drunk call, or that she had really married another man. She supposed it could’ve been a combination of all three, but at the same time she couldn’t deny the sadness she felt at the mention of him. Like many of the other ways she’d felt that day, she knew she had no right. Idina was happily married, so she said…They had both moved on.

Or at least that was what Kristin tried to convince herself, moreso with every day that passed by.

“Kris?”

“Hm, what?” 

Kristin snapped up, blinking out of her sudden trance to see Idina staring back at her.

“You okay? I lost you for a second there.”

Kristin smiled slightly but continued staring down at the covers, already retreating back into her thoughts. Was she okay? Was she _ever_ okay? 

It was starting to sink in that Idina was there, with her, in her apartment. Idina, the love of her life. Idina, who she had pined over day in and day out, for years upon years. And all of the sudden she was sitting right there in front of her, with her full, undivided attention and no other place she could go. 

She had thought about this countless times; about the idea of just being able to sit and talk with her and try to understand all the places they’d gone wrong. It had always seemed so impossible, so out of reach. But now that it was right in front of her, the possibility of talking about it and opening all those old wounds all over again was nothing short of terrifying.

Somehow, she had always thought that if Idina was right in front of her then missing her wouldn’t hurt so badly. What she was starting to realize now was that it still hurt just as much, if not more. Everything she had been missing all those years was now sitting right before her, her presence nothing but a reminder of just how much she had lost.

“I, uh…I don’t know.”

She saw Idina frown from the corner of her eye. She reached out to put her hand over hers, nearly making her jump at the contact.

“I’m here for you too, you know.”

At this, Kristin’s lip quivered and she couldn’t help the tears that began to pool in her eyes. What was also hurting her to realize was that despite the space and time that had separated them, when it came to each other, nothing had seemed to change. It had been sixteen years since they’d been alone in complete privacy like this. Despite all they did for show and appearances, with all their walls down like this there was nothing they could possibly hide. There were no lights, no cameras, no other people. No one or nothing else they had to pretend for. 

For Kristin, this reality was overwhelming. It was as if she had forgotten what it was like to be truly vulnerable with someone. After all, when it came down to it, there were few people who knew her better than Idina. There was no one who could possibly understand and know everything they’d been through like she could; nobody else who knew her darkest secrets just as well.

It was hard for her to think of what she might possibly say, for one thing not knowing how to put her feelings into words, nor knowing if she even should. She grabbed Idina’s hand anyway, squeezing her fingers tightly in hers as she tried her best to hold back her tears. If she was glad for anything, it was that she could be there for her physically.

“I just,” she whispered, tongue darting out to lick her lips, “I just can’t believe you’re here.” 

Kristin’s lip quivered again and she pursed her lips, trying to hide it as she continued to stare down at the covers. But of course Idina knew her better and she could feel her eyes on her, silently prying as she tugged at her hand. Eventually Kristin acquiesced and at last looked at her, caving in the moment Idina spread her arms and pulled her into her chest.

Kristin had sunk into her before she even had a chance to deliberate the action, burying her face in the soft fabric of Idina’s sweater. The tears didn’t pour out all at once but slowly, squeezing themselves out one by one as she was overwhelmed by familiarity and the sense of both relief and nostalgia that came with it. It didn’t help when Idina tightened her arms around her waist, grasping a fistful of her sweater at her hip as it felt like she was being suffocated by emotion. How could something feel so right but hurt so much at the same time?

Idina said nothing while she held her, just stroking her hair as Kristin succumbed to what she was feeling—the combination of it too intricate to pick apart. She closed her eyes and just held onto her, not knowing she had needed this. But Idina had somehow always been a step ahead of her in that department. She had always seemed to intuitively know just what Kristin needed, most of the time before she even knew herself. At that moment there were so many things running through her mind; so many things she wanted to say, wanted to ask. But she wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to say any of them.

She knew they couldn’t avoid talking forever—especially not while being stuck in quarantine together. But for the time being, Kristin didn’t want to exchange a word with her that was about them or anything that had occurred between them in the past. As much as she was hurting and as much as she wanted to know, those answers could wait. Assuming she was even ready to hear them yet, which there was a very good possibility that she wasn’t at all.

“I don’t want to talk,” she whispered, her voice muffled somewhat by the crumpled fabric of her sweater.

“I know,” Idina said simply, without ceasing her motions of running her fingers through her hair. “And we don’t have to.”

Kristin slumped in relief, settling in closer against Idina’s chest. Painfully enough, she couldn’t help but be reminded of the last night they had spent together. It had been kind of like this, with the exception of a few minor details. She hadn’t wanted to talk then either, having thought that all there was left to say had already been shared between them.

Looking back, she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Yet despite everything that had happened since they’d last shared a moment like this, when it came to them, it was like no time had passed at all.

The longer she laid there, the more she wondered what on earth they were going to do. There was nowhere they could run away to. There were no pretenses, no audiences, no excuses to hide behind small talk. There were only so many ways they could keep avoiding conversation. All of that, on top of the fact that they now had to stay indoors as much as humanly possible and learn how to cope through a global pandemic.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Idina suddenly said, as if reading her mind, “But we’ll get through this, together. I know we will.”

Kristin said nothing, only clutching her more tightly as she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, her pounding headache finally starting to fade into the background. A thousand different thoughts and emotions were playing out in her head all at once, but at that moment there was only one thing she was sure of. 

She was glad Idina was there with her.

* * *

The first thing Kristin felt was how warm and stifled her face was as she came to, already disoriented by the fact that she had fallen asleep. Her mind was muddled as she faded back to consciousness, the second thing she noticed being the familiar scent and warm embrace she was wrapped up in—one that she could never possibly forget, but one that she hadn’t felt in over a decade and a half. 

In an instant the events of the day flashed back through her mind, the dots all clicking together the moment she realized it really was Idina she was still hanging on to by fistfuls of her sweater. 

So it hadn’t been a dream, after all.

She stretched a bit but only let go of Idina to wrap her arms around her waist, moving her head to a more comfortable position in the crook of her neck. She had fallen asleep too, and Kristin couldn’t stop her heart from skipping a beat as she glanced up to see her face. She couldn’t stop the emotion that came up in her throat either, her chest swelling with nothing but love for how peaceful she looked while asleep, accompanied by a resounding pang from having missed her so damn much. Especially moments like this, napping in each other’s arms, often between shows, where Kristin would spend as much time as she wanted just studying and tracing every perfect feature of her face. Even now, she couldn’t resist reaching out to tuck some of Idina’s hair away from her face and behind her ear. If it had been 2003, she would have left gentle kisses on her forehead and down the bridge of her nose, maybe one on the lips if she was really in the mood.

But that was then, and this was now. It wasn’t her place to do so anymore, though it never really had been at all.

She settled instead for cuddling herself back into her chest, tightening her arms just a little around her waist. She didn’t want to think about how right or wrong it was for them to be doing this, because in that moment it was all she wanted and nothing could’ve felt more right. Despite the fact that they had been apart for so long, she had never once stopped craving her touch. Idina’s arms were home. Being wrapped in them once again only solidified that truth for her even more.

She could only hope that Idina felt the same way; after all, she had been the one who pulled her there in the first place and still seemed perfectly content being so close to her again. What Kristin couldn’t even begin to process was that being with her felt like nothing had changed between them at all. Despite the fact that they had both aged and gone their separate ways with separate people, it was like going back to a page that had been bookmarked long ago and continuing on. They might not remember every detail from before, but they were picking up right where they left off.

She still couldn’t believe it was really Idina in her arms, that she was really looking at her and touching her in the flesh like she once used to so many years ago. It felt as if she was living in the most realistic, most sensory dream that felt as close to reality as she could possibly get but soon enough she would wake and it would all be over. But it wasn’t ending, no matter how many times she blinked, rubbed her eyes, or even pinched herself. Idina was still there, fast asleep and breathing soundly beside her.

Eventually Idina stirred in her sleep, causing Kristin to pull back a little as she stretched. She couldn’t help but smile a little as she yawned and slowly blinked her eyes open, her expression soft and sleepy and adorable.

“Hi,” Kristin said, unable to help herself from smiling, just knowing that her adoration for her was written plain on her face.

“Hey,” Idina murmured, returning a sleepier version of her smile. “I don’t remember falling asleep.”

“Me neither,” Kristin admitted, feeling a gentle blush return to her cheeks. They stared at each other for a few short moments and she felt it deepen. “Uh, mind if I put something on TV?”

“Sure,” Idina shrugged, still resting against the pillows.

Kristin turned on the TV and flicked through a few channels, settling on one of her many mind-numbing reality show regimens. At that moment, it was exactly what they needed. Kristin was trying her best to pay attention, but after several minutes she realized it wasn’t working very well. Most likely because Idina still had her arm wrapped around her and it was all she could think about.

“Dee?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

“Hm?”

“Um…” Kristin rolled her lips together, her gaze flickering down shyly. “Is this…weird?”

“What’s ‘this’ exactly?”

“You know,” Kristin cocked her head to one side, as if she would somehow pick up what she meant. “You, me…cuddling.”

The corners of Idina’s mouth turned up in a smile while Kristin vehemently ignored the now irregular beat of her heart.

“I don’t find it weird. Why would it be weird?”

“I don’t know,” Kristin said, blushing even more fiercely than before. “I just don’t want to…overstep.”

“Oh, please,” Idina rolled her eyes, pulling her closer to her. “As if we haven’t done so much more than just cuddling.”

“Don’t remind me,” Kristin mumbled, her head now resting against her shoulder.

“Why so uptight, Cheno?” Idina turned to look at her, giving her stomach a poke with a big grin on her face.

“‘M’not,” she groaned, shooing her hand away. “I’m just trying to, you know, _not_ commit adultery for the second time in my life.”

Idina glanced at her, one eyebrow raised.

“So does that mean I still have a chance?”

Kristin sat up and gasped, reaching around to hit her with a pillow.

“‘Dina!”

“What?” Idina laughed, her hands in front of her face. “You’re the one who propositioned me in the first place, remember?”

“No, I don’t remember, because I was _drunk_ ,” Kristin whined, putting her pillow back and crossing her arms over her chest with a pout.

“Drunk words are sober thoughts, are they not?” she grinned, tugging at her arm as Kristin’s mouth fell open with another gasp. “C’mon, you don’t have to get all pouty on me now.”

Still pouting, Kristin gave up and let Idina tug her back down against her shoulder.

“‘Dina, you haven’t even been here twelve hours. Please stop flirting with me.”

Idina clicked her tongue in protest, letting out a sigh.

“You’re no fun.”

“You’re _married_.”

“That’s exactly what you said last time.”

Without saying a word, Kristin turned around and hit her with the pillow once more.

“Hey!” Idina burst into giggles, putting her hands up again. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

Kristin let out a ‘hmph’ and settled herself against her once more, in spite of their little banter. Idina put her arm back around her and muttered the word ‘cranky’ under her breath.

“Don’t make me hit you again.”

“Okay, cranky.”

Kristin gave her arm a little punch, though it was delivered with hardly any force whatsoever.

“Shuddup.”

Idina just smiled and Kristin rolled her eyes, resting her head back on her shoulder and refocusing her attention on _The Real Housewives of Orange County_. But despite her efforts, her thoughts did not stray from Idina, no matter how hard she tried to pay attention to the mindlessness playing out in front of her. She had the strangest feeling that things were going to stay that way for as long as they were stuck in her apartment together. After all, time or distance had never seemed to matter when it came to her. There had seldom been a day since she’d first laid eyes on her in 2001 that she’d ever left her mind.

Quarantine was only going to make things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello AO3, it is I, chenzel_queen. You may know me from Twitter or Wattpad. This is my first time posting Chenzel fic on here so I hope you all enjoy, and any comments/kudos/feedback are always much appreciated 💜


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Sorry for the bit of the wait on the update. I just wanted to say thank you sooo much to everyone who has read this, left kudos or commented. It really means a lot. :)
> 
> I changed the title because I figured it suited this story more; I actually have a second quarantine fic in the works which I will probably title 'if the world was ending'. It's inspired by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber's new song, which is super cute and reminds me so much of them and this story!
> 
> Content warning ahead for BRIEF mentions of weight gain, eating habits, exercise; also manipulation and toxic relationships.

Hours later Kristin found herself peering through her kitchen cupboards, trying to think of a meal that wasn’t too daunting while Idina FaceTimed with Walker at her dining room table. Eventually she gave up and ended up leaning against the counter on her phone, until Idina walking back in the room caught her attention.

“Hey, you. How’d it go,” Kristin asked brightly, standing up straight as Idina approached the counter.

“Alright, I guess,” she sighed, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. “Not as bad as I expected. He was a little sad but he took it pretty well. I guess I’m just going to have to accept this for what it is.”

“Well that’s all you can really do, right?” Kristin said, her lips turned down into the tiniest frown. “I’m sure you’ll make the best out of it. This sucks for everyone, no matter what.”

“Yeah, that is true,” Idina agreed with a nod. “You’re right.”

“By the way, what do you feel like eating for dinner?”

“Gosh, hm,” Idina hummed, looking lost in thought. “I don’t know. I don’t care. Well, at least for a few days, ‘cause I can’t get fat in quarantine.”

Kristin rolled her eyes.

“As if you’ve ever been ‘fat’ in your life.”

“Hey, I gained quite a bit of weight when I was pregnant, thank you very much!”

Kristin just blinked at her, not having the energy to launch into a discussion on how every woman gains weight during pregnancy.

“Well I’m just warning you, I’m no health nut like you. I don’t have anything gluten-free.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just order some groceries for myself tomorrow,” Idina said, getting up to take a peek into the fridge. “Is there a gym in here?”

“Yes,” Kristin said, turning against the counter to face her and resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. It was just one of the many ways in which she and Idina were polar opposites. “Is chicken, pasta and veggies good enough for you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Idina said, stepping back from the fridge and pulling her phone from her pocket. “Oh, Aaron’s calling me. I’ll be back.”

Idina dashed off to the living room while Kristin pulled a tray of chicken thighs from the freezer, putting a bowl in the sink to run it under cold water. Somewhat to her surprise, Idina settled herself on the couch to speak to him, not out of earshot from where she was standing. She continued to occupy herself in the kitchen, not wanting to intentionally eavesdrop, but at the same time dying of curiosity.

“So you’re stuck over there?”

“Yeah,” Idina said, sitting with her legs tucked beneath her on the couch. “I was getting ready to leave for my flight this morning when they announced the shelter-in-place. All flights are cancelled, in and around the state.”

“I see. So why aren’t you home?”

Kristin perked up at this in surprise, the bluntness of his question having taken her aback.

“What?”

“Why aren’t you at your apartment?”

“I…am?”

“No, you aren’t. I can tell.”

Kristin turned in the direction opposite of Idina, her eyes bulging wide.

“How could you possibly tell?”

“Show me around then.”

At this, Idina hesitated. Meanwhile, Kristin was trying to keep her composure from how shocked she was by the nature of their conversation, her mouth nearly hanging open.

“Okay, I…was staying at a friend’s. She needed help with something. I was heading home and then the shelter-in-place got called.”

“Okay. So why didn’t you just say that?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t think it was that important of a detail.”

“Then why did you lie about it? And who is this ‘friend’?”

“She’s one of my old friends from college, you don’t know her. And, I-I don’t know…I’m sorry.”

At this point Kristin was slightly alarmed, but continued trying to keep herself busy by slowly laying out all the ingredients she needed on the counter.

“Have you spoken to Walker? How is he taking all of this?”

“I just talked to him, he’s fine…He’s taking it better than I thought he would. I’m going to be FaceTiming him every day to help with his schoolwork.”

“Good, good. So when will he be coming here?”

“I told Taye you would be working from home, so I’ll let you know whenever they might be dropping by to pick up some of Walker’s stuff.”

“No, I mean for his two-week visit.”

There was silence for a moment and Kristin glanced up to see Idina’s face. She looked perplexed.

“Um, well… _I_ have custody for his two-week visits, so he won’t be having them as long as I’m here.”

“He can’t even stay with me just for a little bit?”

There was a brief silence again as Idina hesitated to respond, opening her mouth then closing it.

“I mean, unless Walker really wants to…But I think Taye has got things under control.”

“So I’m just not going to be able to see him?”

“I’m not going to be able to see him, either. We can all video chat together in the evenings.”

“I don’t know, Dee. I think you should let him stay with me. It’ll help him to keep a sense of normalcy. We’ll have fun together, it’ll be great.”

 _There is nothing normal about this situation whatsoever_ , Kristin thought to herself. She could tell Idina was getting uncomfortable just by the look on her face. And why was her stomach now churning after hearing him call her ‘Dee’?

“Yeah, okay…We can maybe talk about this some other time. I have to go; we’re having dinner. Bye.”

Idina hung up without waiting for a response, much to Kristin’s surprise. She fumbled about the kitchen, trying to pretend like she hadn’t been listening the entire time. The conversation had sure been odd, but she hadn’t expected her to end it so suddenly, especially without a proper goodbye. She clamoured with a few pots and pans as Idina approached the kitchen again, retaking her seat at the breakfast bar.

“Men are so weird,” she murmured, leaning her elbow against the counter with her head in her hand.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Kristin said, standing up with the pot she wanted in hand, putting it on the stove. She glanced over at Idina, noting her confused expression. “Everything okay?”

“I just…feel pretty off after that conversation,” Idina said slowly, looking spaced out in her thoughts.

“How so?”

“Like as in an, ‘I don’t know what just happened and have no idea how to deal with it’ kind of way.”

“I see,” Kristin said, frowning as she came to lean on the counter opposite her. “Wanna talk about it?”

Idina hesitated, sitting up and lacing her hands together.

“He just has this…weird possessiveness over Walker, and I don’t understand why. I never thought much into it because I always thought he was just really into being a stepdad and everything and it was nice to see him make such an effort with him. But now he’s acting like he has just as much of a right to see him as I do and it’s not sitting right with me. That, and I feel so stupid that I lied.”

“Well, why did you?”

“I don’t know,” Idina frowned, looking down at the counter like she was going to be sick. “I-I just panicked…I knew he wouldn’t like that I was staying with someone else.”

Kristin frowned back at her, trying not to think about how many red flags just that response itself raised. As well as the fact that she had also lied about who she was staying with, though she could understand that more, given their past circumstances. She kept quiet, wanting to let Idina keep talking.

“I mean, that was my own fault. But the thing about Walker is really bothering me. Maybe I should have clued in when he started calling him ‘his son’ in passing. But I don’t know. I just,” she shrugged, her shoulders slumping, “I wanted to assume it was a good thing. That he was just taking it seriously, you know?”

Kristin’s frown deepened, her internal warning bells going off more and more with the more Idina spoke.

“I think any woman in your position would have wanted to assume the best, ‘Dina.”

“Yeah,” Idina said, still frowning, her brows knit together with worry. “Now I just don’t know.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kristin said, finding herself reaching out to take her hands before she could even think about it, even though she really didn’t know if things were ‘okay’ at all. “It’s fresh in your mind; give yourself some time to think about it. You don’t have to figure things all out right away.”

“Yeah,” Idina said, nodding and seeming to come around to the idea. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Kris.”

“Anytime, darling,” Kristin gave her a small smile and patted her hands. She took a step back and went over to the sink to see if the chicken had finished defrosting.

“Can I help with anything?”

“You could watch over the pasta for me?” Kristin offered.

“Foolproof, I like it. Well, almost foolproof,” Idina said with a grin as she got up to join her.

* * *

Another few hours passed. They made and ate dinner together, caught up on the news, then took some time to get Idina more settled into her apartment, putting away her clothes and finding places to put her things. They then took turns showering and Kristin called her boyfriend while Idina was occupied, having to address the fact that he’d no longer be able to make it for their previously planned visit.

She didn’t like to admit it to herself, but it was hard to pretend that she really cared. Maybe if Idina hadn’t happened to be there, his absence would’ve been a bigger deal. But by the wild, unpredictable chain of events that had led to this peculiar circumstance, she was—and perhaps even more wild of her to think so, Kristin was in a way glad for it.

She didn’t want to be selfish—she really didn’t. She regretted and felt guilty about the fact that Idina couldn’t be at home with her family like she wanted to. But at the same time, with everything that had now happened with Aaron, Kristin was starting to wonder if perhaps maybe it was a good thing for her to be away from him, at the very least to take time for herself and reevaluate how she felt about their relationship. It wasn’t any of her business, but it was also hard for her to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach that hadn’t gone away since overhearing him on their phone call.

With everything else that was now going on, her own boyfriend was the last thing on her mind. Not when she still couldn’t get over the fact that Idina was really there, now practically her roommate for who knew how long. And on top of all that, just how easy it was between the two of them, as if they’d been together like this all their lives. The way they just worked…They hardly even had to communicate. How they’d made dinner together and just talked about any random thing that Idina brought up, laughing and singing along to all kinds of music. It was so easy. So easy that Kristin wondered why, wondered how, and found it hard to believe that they had ever been apart for so long.

Once Kristin got off the phone she padded back to her bedroom, climbing into bed with just the TV and her bedside lamp illuminating the room. Idina joined her a few minutes later, and Kristin couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her glowy appearance and damp hair tied up into a bun, in an instant bringing back so many memories. Idina had stopped just short of the bed when she hesitated, looking up at Kristin.

“Are you, um…okay with me being here? Would you rather me sleep in the guest room?”

Kristin looked up at her and couldn’t help the way her heart swelled, knowing full well that Idina was being dead serious in asking. She had always been so considerate, always so unsure of herself, never wanting to overstep.

“I don’t mind, sweetheart,” she told her, pulling back the covers for her to get in. “I could use the cuddles.”

Idina arched a brow at her as she settled in beside her.

“You sure your boyfriend won’t mind?”

“You sure your husband won’t mind?”

“Touché,” Idina said with a grin as she pulled up the covers and snuggled a bit closer to Kristin.

Kristin smiled back and settled further into her pillows, getting comfy while Idina checked her phone. After a few minutes she noticed that Idina’s expression had changed, now frowning with her brows furrowed. She kept putting her phone face down in her lap only to check it again moments later, looking more unsettled than before.

“You okay, honey?” Kristin couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Uh,” Idina said, hesitating as she glanced once more at her phone before putting it down. “It’s nothing, I’m fine.”

“‘Dina,” Kristin murmured, tilting her head at her with a worried look. Idina rolled her lips together, looking visibly both upset and nervous. She reached over and put her hand over hers, squeezing it gently. 

“If something’s bothering you, you don’t have to hide it.”

Idina hesitated again, looking down at her hands for a few moments before picking up her phone and handing it to Kristin without a word.

_I just wanted to let you know that I didn’t appreciate you hanging up on me earlier. If things are going to work throughout this quarantine, it has to start with you being honest. Why didn’t you tell me you were staying with a friend? Should I be worried?_

_I hope you realize that you’re going to have to put time aside for us, in private. This is going to take work, Idina. You can’t just hang up on me every time I say something you don’t like. If we are going to work from two opposite sides of the country, it’s going to take your cooperation. I need to know that you’re going to be willing to do that._

Kristin read the words, squinting at the screen, but found herself somewhat incredulous to what she was reading.

At first glance, it didn’t seem that bad. Idina had lied and hung up on him, and he was frustrated. That, he had a right to be. But aside from that, there seemed to be countless things wrong that Kristin could scarcely begin to pick apart. 

For one, the passive-aggressiveness. Why the patronizing tone? He sounded as if he was scolding her. He had chosen his words purposefully, meaning to instil a sense of guilt. They were twisted in a way that made it seem as if he was ‘concerned’, when Kristin could tell he was really just displeased that she had acted in a way he hadn’t liked. On top of all of that, he seemed to be holding their relationship over her like a threat. And why the emphasis on time ‘in private’?

Kristin handed her phone back to her feeling uneasy. The sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach had just gotten ten times worse.

“Oh, Dee.”

“I really fucked up, didn’t I?”

Kristin looked up, somewhat alarmed at her response.

“What? Why do you say that?”

“I lied. For no good reason,” she said, shaking her head as if disappointed in herself. “I am so stupid.”

Kristin turned towards her to look her directly in her eyes.

“First of all, ‘Dina, you aren’t stupid. Not even close. Second of all, I don’t think you lied for no reason. I want you to think long and hard about what that might be. Remember what you said to me earlier?”

Idina thought for a moment, looking confused.

“That it was my own fault?”

“No, before that. When I first asked you why you lied.”

Idina thought again, her eyes wandering back and forth.

“T-That I panicked…Because I knew he wouldn’t like me staying with someone else?”

“There you go.” Kristin said, her lips tucked into a grim expression.

She watched Idina process this as it sunk in, visualizing the wheels slowly turning in her head.

“That’s probably not very good, is it.”

“You tell me, honey. Trust your gut. How does it make you feel?”

Idina went quiet again. The longer she sat there, the more she looked like she was going to be sick.

“Oh, god,” Idina whispered after a moment, starting to look very pale.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kristin told her gently, taking her hands in hers again and rubbing her thumbs back and forth. “Try not to panic, okay? You have time to think and figure this out.”

“But this is really bad, isn’t it? Why the hell am I just noticing it now?” Idina said, looking distraught.

“Honey, don’t blame yourself. This is such an unprecedented situation. Things have a way of coming up at the strangest times…”

Idina pouted, looking at her lap, and Kristin could see tears welling in her eyes.

“I can’t believe how stupid I am,” she murmured, her voice hardly audible. “I got out of one bad marriage just to jump right back into another one. He’s probably been manipulating me from the start and I’ve just fallen for it this whole time.”

“Baby, you are not stupid,” Kristin told her, her heart breaking at her words as she wiped away the few tears that slid down her cheeks. “Please, don’t ever think that. You were so vulnerable coming out of that marriage and he decided to take advantage of that. You are not the one to blame here.”

Idina nodded, sniffling as her tears started to come more steadily.

“I guess so. I just _feel_ so stupid. How could I have been so stupid?”

“Oh, honey,” Kristin frowned, brushing a few stray hairs back from her face and continuing to wipe her cheeks. “Whenever we lose a relationship, especially such a significant one, we all just want nothing more than to move on. I’m sure he told you all the things you wanted to hear back then. How could you not want to believe in that?”

Idina’s lip quivered and she squeezed Kristin’s hand tighter as more tears poured out.

“God, you’re right. You’re so right.”

“We all just want to be loved,” Kristin went on, gently caressing her face. “And you know, I don’t know a whole lot about him, or your relationship, or your marriage. But if I had to judge just off of everything I saw and heard today…I’d tell you you deserve one hell of a lot better than that, ‘Dina.”

“Really?” Idina looked up at her, her eyes wide and red-rimmed from the tears.

“Of course,” Kristin murmured, her heart breaking all over again at the sight of her. “You always did. You always do.”

Idina softened at this, lacing her fingers through hers.

“That means so much, coming from you.”

Kristin’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but reach her arms out towards her.

“C’mere, sweetheart.”

Idina didn’t hesitate before curling into her arms, with a surprising amount of ease given their size difference. It was familiar, after all, Kristin thought to herself as she rested her chin atop of her head, her arms wrapping around her shoulders as she slowly stroked her back. Very familiar, she realized as she was overwhelmed by nostalgic sensations—Idina’s damp hair and her trademark bun, her warmth and the softness of her skin, and she could’ve sworn she still used the same shampoo as she had all those years ago.

She felt like home.

“I’m sorry for all of this,” Idina whispered into her chest after a few moments. “You didn’t even expect me to be here, and now you’re stuck dealing with me and my problems when I’m such a wreck.”

“‘Dina, don’t be silly,” Kristin told her, smoothing her hair back. “It’s my fault you’re here anyway. And…I’m so happy you are.”

Idina sat back a little bit, peeking up at her.

“You are?”

“Of course,” she smiled, gazing down at her. “I never would have expected it in a million years, but…I don’t think I’d rather be stuck in my apartment with anyone else.”

“Really?” Idina asked, gazing at her with her gorgeous wide eyes.

“Mhm,” Kristin told her, falling in love with those beautiful shades of green all over again. “It still feels so surreal that you’re even here.”

“Doesn’t it?” Idina said, looking up at her with a smile that made her want to melt.

“Definitely,” she said, feeling her eyes practically sparkle the way they always did whenever she looked at Idina. “And, I’m not ‘dealing’ with you. You’re my friend, and…I’m here for you. I want to be here for you.”

The word ‘friend’ definitely felt odd coming out of her mouth. She could tell Idina felt the same way by the face she made, her eyebrows knitting together into a look of surprise and confusion.

“I’m your friend?”

Kristin couldn’t help but grin at the amused yet bewildered expression on her face.

“You are so much more than just my friend. But for the sake of simplicity and time, we’re just going to call it that.”

Idina split into a giggle, and Kristin couldn’t stop herself from smiling. That silly little laugh that had always felt like such an accomplishment to hear, whether it was on stage or just for fun or in moments like this, where she was just trying to get her to smile again and take her mind off of whatever was bothering her, if only for just a moment.

“How do you do that?”

“Hmm?” Kristin snapped out of her thoughts, not having realized that Idina had still had her eyes on her.

“How do you just make me feel like everything’s okay again?”

It was Kristin who was taken by surprise this time, her expression both shocked and tender as she felt another blush creeping up her cheeks yet again. She hadn’t been expecting such a response from Idina, even though she was currently looking at her as if nothing else in the world had ever seemed to matter. It simultaneously terrified her and filled her up inside.

“I’m glad I could help you feel better,” she told her, shooting her a small smile. “But at the same time, I don’t think you should forget about this. Sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Idina agreed, her face faltering just slightly. “I’m so glad you’re with me, Kris. I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I’m glad I am too, honey,” Kristin said, her gaze softening for her once again as she swept a few more of her baby hairs back from her face. “Let’s try and get some rest, yeah? It’s been a long day.”

Kristin reached over to shut off her bedside lamp and they resettled beneath the blankets, her arms still wrapped around Idina as she came to rest her head on her chest. Carefully she undid her bun and let her hair flow loose around her shoulders, remembering how she loved to have her run her fingers through it to help calm her down. Sure enough, it didn’t take long at all for Idina to fall fast asleep.

As Kristin lay there with Idina wrapped in her arms, she couldn’t help but worry for her. It was crazy how one day had passed by in such a whirlwind, with so much having happened from the time they’d woken up beside each other until then. Kristin was grateful, she thought to herself with her chin resting atop Idina’s head, still running her fingers through her hair even though she was well asleep. Grateful for her, grateful that they were safe, together, and grateful that she was lucky enough to have her in her arms, despite the circumstances. And as much as she only wanted the best for her, she couldn’t help but worry about how these new developments with her husband would take a toll on her.

Kristin was no stranger to bad relationships, but it didn’t take an expert to figure out that there was something off between the two of them. Of course she empathized and could understand why Idina hadn’t recognized it herself—after all, any situation is more difficult to deal with when you and your own emotions are wrapped up in it. But she couldn’t stop herself from wondering more. What they were like behind closed doors, if this happened all the time, how Idina felt on a regular basis… 

It wasn’t any of her business. She _knew_ it wasn’t any of her business and she continued to remind herself that with every other thought. But part of her still wondered, partly out of concern for Idina and partly out of her own curiosity. She wanted things to be okay for her, she really did. Yet another part of her couldn’t help but wonder about the possibility that things wouldn’t be okay, and what would happen from there. She couldn’t stop the thought from crossing her mind about how awfully coincidental their situation was, and how Idina had somehow ended up in her arms again, against all odds. 

She didn’t want to go there; to that place she had feared she might end up since the very moment she’d first laid eyes upon Idina in her bed that morning. She didn’t even want her mind to graze over the possibility of _thinking_ of going there.

But the problem was…She already had.


End file.
